Department for Transport

Cycling

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they plan to encourage compliance with laws governing cycling.

lord callanan: As with all road users, cyclists need to adhere to the rules set out in the Highway Code regulations 59 to 82. Anyone not doing so is at risk of a penalty, fine or imprisonment. Enforcement is a matter for individual police forces. The Government also promotes road safety, including encouraging safe cycling, through its Think! campaigns. The Government continues to keep road safety and road traffic offences under review to ensure that the current legislative framework is adequate.

Sheffield-Rotherham Tram-train Pilot Scheme

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the change from DC to AC electrification or the new specification of the Sheffield Tram Train cost, or will cost, in terms of(1) the associated infrastructure,and (2) the trains.

lord callanan: The new tram train vehicles for use between Rotherham and Sheffield have been specified with the ability to operate on either 750v DC or 25kv AC power and therefore these units are already capable of operation on both systems at no additional cost. Network Rail has designed the overhead electrification equipment on their network to operate initially at 750v DC, however passive provision (such as installing ‘mainline’ standard masts) has been made to facilitate conversion to 25kv AC should this be required in future. The costs however of such conversion are not known at this time but the work undertaken by this project will reduce the overall cost of any such future scheme in the area.

Diesel Vehicles: Urban Areas

lord campbell-savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have decided which restrictions are to be introduced on access to major conurbations for Euro 6 emission standard compliant diesel engine powered vehicles.

lord callanan: In May 2017, the Government published a Clean Air Zone Framework for England setting out the expected approach to be taken by local authorities when implementing and operating Clean Air Zones. This does not include restrictions on Euro 6 vehicles. Local authorities are currently developing local plans to determine which measures are implemented and what their extent will be.

Buses: Tyres

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the deaths of two children and a coach driver on 11 September 2012 as a result of the failure of a tyre which was over 19 years oldfitted to the coach and of the resulting Traffic Commissioner's Public Inquiry and the inquest into the deaths, whetherthey have any proposals to introduce legislative requirements relating to the use of tyres of more than 10 years old on public service vehicles.

lord callanan: The Government has no proposals to introduce legislation restricting the use of tyres on the basis of their age. Expert advice suggests that tyre ageing is a complex issue where use and maintenance are significant factors rather than simply chronological age. However, applying the precautionary principle, in 2013 the Department distributed guidance to bus and coach operators on how to establish the age of a tyre and advised that tyres over 10-years of age should only be fitted as part of a twin-wheel arrangement on a rear axle. Enforcement staff of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency continue to advise operators if a non-compliance is identified. The Department consulted with experts from the tyre industry in both the UK and Europe and the free “Guide to Tyre Management on Heavy Vehicles” was produced with the support of the tyre industry and Senior Traffic Commissioner Bell. In October 2016, copies of this guide were sent to every registered bus and coach operator in the country ensuring that, no matter the size of fleet and irrespective of affiliation to a trade association, these important messages reached as wide an audience as possible. The Department for Transport has gone to the market twice to commission scientific research regarding the effect of chronological age on tyre integrity. These approaches have not been successful in establishing a robust programme of research and the Department is considering how to proceed. Scientific evidence will inform any future policy decisions and the Department will publish the outcome of the research once completed.

Buses: Standards

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any proposals to review construction and use regulations relating to public service vehicles, with particular reference to the continuing use on such vehicles of aged critical parts which are incapable of in-service testing, such as tyres.

lord callanan: The ageing of vehicle parts is a complex matter, and whilst the Government does not currently have any proposals to amend construction and use regulations, it will continue to review scientific evidence to inform policy decisions.

Electric Vehicles: Batteries

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the annual number of used electric vehicle batteries that will require disposal or recycling per year once the sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans has ended.

lord callanan: We do not hold estimates of this. We recognise that once batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs) no longer meet the needs of the motorist they will still have significant capacity remaining for alternative uses. The second-use of batteries is still in its research phase but we expect second use applications to develop significantly as EV numbers increase. The benefits of secondary uses for these batteries could include better EV residual values; and provide benefits to consumers and utilities including grid balancing and energy storage for intermittent renewable generation.

Driving: Licensing

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support is available for adults applying for a driving licence who do not have access to a computer or are not IT literate.

lord callanan: All applications for a driving licence can be made by completing a paper form. Application forms are available from the Post Office or direct from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. A limited number of Post Office branches also offer an electronic service to capture and transmit data for some driving licence applications. Customers who have previously been issued with a photocard driving licence can also apply for a new or replacement driving licence by telephoning the DVLA’s Contact Centre.

Carillion

lord stunell: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with representativesof (1) HS2 Ltd, and (2) Carillion, about the use of discrete project bank accounts in relation to Carillion's HS2 contract,with regards to the protection ofSMEsub-contractors from late payments.

lord callanan: I can advise that the Department for Transport has not had any discussions with either HS2 Ltd or Carillion regarding the use of discrete project bank accounts in relation to HS2 contracts.

Road Works

lord trefgarne: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are satisfied with the regulatory arrangements relating to the conduct of roadworks on public highways undertaken by public utility companies.

lord callanan: The Government wants to deliver better journeys for drivers. Utility works are essential, but they should not be in place any longer than is absolutely necessary. Whilst we are satisfied that the regulatory arrangements are working well, we continue to keep them under review to modernise and update legislation and statutory guidance where necessary, and where it will lead to improvements in the way that these works are managed. Recent examples include a consultation on lane rental powers published on 2nd September. Lane rental allows local authorities to charge utility companies for works on the busiest roads at the busiest times. We will shortly be publishing updated statutory guidance relating to inspections. In 2015, we updated regulations and guidance on permit schemes that are now in place in almost 60% of local authority areas and which are resulting in more effective management of street works and reductions in their duration. We continue to work with stakeholders to encourage more local authorities take up and adopt permit schemes.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the HS2 project is within budget and on schedule; and what steps they are taking to ensure that it is delivered within budget and on schedule.

lord callanan: HS2 is on time and on budget. The Development Agreement between the Secretary of State for Transport and HS2 Ltd sets out a series of obligations and commitments on cost control and schedule. This agreement was originally signed by both parties in 2014 and has recently been extensively reviewed and republished in July 2017.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatare theirestimates of (1) the final cost of HS2, and (2) its completion date.

lord callanan: The Spending Review 2015 confirmed a budget for the delivery of HS2 of £55.7 billion at 2015 prices. We are committed to delivering HS2 on time and on budget. HS2 will run between London and Birmingham from 2026, extend to Crewe by 2027 and then link to Manchester and Leeds from 2033.

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total amount of fines for failure to pay the Dartford Crossing Charge that have been written off in the last 12 months; and what are the reasons those fines could not be collected.

lord callanan: Highways England is currently finalising the 2016/17 Dartford River Crossing accounts which will be audited by the National Audit Office in October 2017. As a result, we are unable at present to provide figures relating to fines for the last 12 months.

Pedicabs: Greater London

baroness stowell of beeston: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to regulate rickshaws and pedicabs in London.

lord callanan: The Government understands the concerns that have been raised about pedicabs and the lack of regulatory regime to control their operations. We are considering the options for regulation and working to identify a suitable legislative slot if required.

Leader of the House of Lords

Department for Communities and Local Government: Written Questions

lord jopling: To ask the Leader of the House what explanation, if any, she has received from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government as to why six questions for written answer tabled on or before 19 July had not been answered by 6 September; and when she expects those questions to be answered.

baroness evans of bowes park: As Leader of the House I take very seriously the responsibility incumbent on all Ministers to provide full, timely and comprehensible answers to Questions for Written Answer (QWAs). In this instance I am informed by the Department that delays to five of these late responses were as a result of administrative errors. I have been advised that these issues have now been identified and resolved. I have been reassured that the Secretary of State takes this seriously and that he has made clear to officials that it is essential it does not happen again. The members concerned were contacted by the Department to apologise for the delay and these questions have now been answered. With regard to question number HL1066 from Lord Pearson of Rannoch, this remained unanswered by 6 September due to an error with IT systems maintained by the House which meant that it was not allocated to the correct department. The technical issue which was causing problems with transfers and amendments has now been resolved and the question has now been answered. My office will continue to work with all departments to ensure prompt and satisfactory answers to QWAs.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Groceries Code Adjudicator

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to report on the outcome of the call for evidence into whether there should be an extension of the remit of the Groceries Code Adjudicator.

lord prior of brampton: We are planning to report the outcome of the Call for Evidence on extending the Groceries Code Adjudicator’s remit in the autumn.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

South Africa: Bell Pottinger Group

lord hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any UK High Commission staff stationed in South Africa (1) assisted, (2) advised, or (3) were in contact at any time with, Bell Pottinger over its activities in South Africa on behalf of President Zuma's business supporters.

lord hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government what meetings, telephone calls, or formal or informal contacts UK High Commission staff stationed in South Africa had with Bell Pottinger inside or outside that country in 2016 and in 2017 to date.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK High Commission in South Africa were not involved in this work, nor were they consulted in advance. There was no contact between UK High Commission staff in South Africa and Bell Pottinger during the period 2016 to 2017 to date.

Turkey: Press Freedom

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of theeffect of recent arrests of journalists in Turkey on the UK's relationship with that country; and whether they have made any representations to the government of Turkey on this matter.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We regularly raise concerns with the Turkish authorities about arrests, including of journalists, under the State of Emergency following last year's attempted coup. British diplomats engage in frequent dialogue with civil society and regularly attend trials, including those of journalists, together with other EU Member States and like-minded missions. We will continue to urge the Turkish authorities to uphold international standards with regard to the rule of law, including the presumption of innocence, and to protect fundamental rights including freedom of expression and assembly.

Department for Work and Pensions

Children: Poverty

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to improve the quality of life and future prospects for the four million children living in relative poverty in the UK.

baroness buscombe: This Government is committed to action that will make a lasting difference to the lives of disadvantaged children. This requires an approach that goes beyond the safety net of the welfare state to tackle the root causes of child poverty and disadvantage. Work is key to alleviating poverty; children in workless households are five times more likely to be in poverty than those in households where all adults were working. This Government’s policies to support and encourage work mean that there are 608,000 fewer children in workless households compared with 2010. Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families, published on 4 April, set out a framework for a continued focus on improving children’s outcomes, now and in the future.

Social Security Benefits

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to review the operation of the benefits system, in particular its impact on vulnerable people.

baroness buscombe: The government keeps the delivery of benefits under constant review, which includes consideration of how benefits are delivered to vulnerable groups.

Agriculture: Accidents

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1)deaths, and (2) serious injuries, (a) on farms, and (b) in the agricultural sector, have occurred in each year since 1990 until the last year for which records are available.

baroness buscombe: The available information is given in the following tables.  Table 1: Number of fatal injuries to both workers (employees and the self-employed) and members of the public (a) on farms and (b) in the agricultural sector each year (where data is available) from 1990/91-2016/17.Source: Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR)Farms (a)Agriculture Sector (b)YearWorkersMembers of the publicWorkersMembers of the public1990/91--52151991/92--5051992/93--40121993/94--3831994/95--4651995/96--4051996/97--5591997/98--40111998/99--4691999/00--3682000/01--4672001/023723922002/032933532003/041964462004/053033732005/063283382006/072873372007/084114622008/092252552009/103553952010/113073482011/122763562012/132953152013/142642742014/153033242015/16r2622722016/17p263273 Table 2: Number of reported non-fatal injuries to employees (a) on farms and (b) in the agricultural sector each year (where data is available) from 1990/91 to 2015/16Source: Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR)YearFarms (a)Agriculture sector (b)1990/91-1,7611991/92-1,8271992/93-1,8441993/94-1,7601994/95-1,7211995/96-1,6871996/97-2,1351997/98-2,0051998/99-1,8631999/00-2,0672000/01-1,9672001/021,8522,0662002/031,4881,6802003/049851,1752004/059511,1472005/068921,0582006/078069862007/089081,1172008/099671,1432009/109961,1832010/118009482011/128811,1102012/13 (c)6818612013/14 (c)6888612014/15r (c)7859362015/16p (c)727883FootnotesNon-fatal injury data for 2016/17 will be published in November 2017(a) Farms defined as Division 02, Crop and animal production, hunting and related service activities, of the 2007 Standard Industrial Classification.(b) Agriculture defined as Section A, Agriculture, forestry and fishing, of the 2007 Standard Industrial Classification.(c) Due to a major change in the RIDDOR reporting requirements in April 2012, injuries reported prior to 2012/13 are not directly comparable with later years.- Due to changes in the Standard Industrial Classification, data only available for Farming from 2001/02r- revised; p- provisional

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food Poverty

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 3 August (HL1163), and on the basis of the data sources in that response, what is their assessment of the levels of household food insecurity in theUK.

lord gardiner of kimble: The UK has a high degree of food security, as shown by the 2010 UK Food Security Assessment. It is a comprehensive piece of work, covering all aspects of food security, including household food security. Defra has just commenced a review of the assessment. The Office for National Statistics Living Costs and Food Survey includes questions on household spend on food, including that of the lowest 20 per cent income households, which has remained constant between 16 per cent and 16.5 per cent for many years. The Food Insecurity Experience Scale, developed by the ‘Voices of the Hungry’ project of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, is used to collect data on household food security in up to 150 countries worldwide, including the UK. The latest survey results will be available shortly.

Food: Imports

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the context of any international trade agreement entered into once the UK has left the EU, how they plan to ensure that the current environmental, animal welfare and food safety standards of British food are protected against competition from imported food that is produced to lower standards.

lord gardiner of kimble: When we leave the European Union, we will maintain our current environmental, animal welfare, and food safety standards. We will keep our existing UK legislation, and the EU Withdrawal Bill will convert EU law into UK law as it applies at the moment of exit. These standards will continue to apply to both our own great British produce and that imported from our trading partners overseas. It is vital that we explore new trading opportunities, but these should not mean a dilution of the standards for which British food is world renowned. Any future trade agreements must work for consumers, farmers, and businesses in the UK.

Electric Vehicles: Batteries

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many lithium-ion car battery recycling facilities are currently in operation; and how many such facilities they expect to be in operation once the sale of petrol and diesel cars has ended.

lord gardiner of kimble: There are no lithium-ion recycling facilities in the UK. All batteries collected are subject to sorting and initial processing but are exported for final reprocessing. With the increased number of larger lithium-ion batteries entering the waste stream in future, we expect there to be interest from industry in establishing reprocessing facilities. However, this would be a decision for the industry to make, based on the economic viability and the expected numbers of these batteries being collected for reprocessing.

Horse Racing

lord trefgarne: To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements, if any,they propose to put in place to enable the free movement of racehorses following Brexit.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government is negotiating our exit from the European Union. Defra is working with the Department for Exiting the European Union to look at future arrangements including for the health conditions that will be applicable to movements of animals between the UK and the European Union.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Devolution: Yorkshire and the Humber

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of (1) establishing a Yorkshire-wide devolution settlement, and (2) members of the Sheffield City Region devolution deal joining that settlement at a later date.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government is committed to implementing and has legislated for the Sheffield City Region devolution deal. The Government has not received any proposal for a Yorkshire wide deal and any assessment of the merits of such a deal would have to take account of this pre-existing legislative commitment. The Sheffield City Region having implemented its devolution deal is not precluded in future from joining a wider Yorkshire devolution deal, were this to be agreed with Government and all the authorities involved.

Cabinet Office

*No heading*

lord blencathra: Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to commemorate in October themany millionswho have died, since the October Revolution 1917, as a result of the actions of the governments of the USSR, the National Socialist government of Germany, the Communist Party of China, the Democratic Republic of Kampuchea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the People's Republic of Bulgaria, the German Democratic Republic, the Republic of Cuba, the People's Republic of Angola, the People's Socialist Republic of Albania, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and other countries which established governments founded on Marxist-socialist principles.

lord young of cookham: There are currently no such plans.

*No heading*

lord mawson: Her Majesty's Government who within the Cabinet Office has responsibility for monitoring (1) the overallimpact of Government legislation, and (2) the burden of regulation,on small and medium-sized enterprises.

lord young of cookham: This is no longer the responsibility of the Cabinet Office and is now the responsibility of the Depart for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Elections: Costs

lord rennard: Her Majesty's Government what are the estimated costs of holding (1) the 2016 EU referendum, and (2) the 2017 general election.

lord young of cookham: In reference to the costs of the 2016 EU Referendum, please see the Written Statement, presented to Parliament on 23rd March 2016, Column 64WS, by the then Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office, John Penrose.The Written Statement presented to Parliament on 13th September 2017, Column 24WS, gave the cost of the 2017 General Election.

Charities: Freedom of Information

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to making it possible for citizens to make freedom of information requeststo UK-based registered charities.

lord young of cookham: A small number of public authorities subject to the FOI Act are also registered as charities. Other charitable bodies do not meet the conditions for inclusion within Schedule 1 of the FOI Act. However, the Government keeps the scope of the Act under constant review.

Carillion

lord stunell: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have madeof the current financial situation of Carillion; and what consideration they have given to mandating the use of bank accounts in England for public infrastructure projects in order to protect smaller sub-contractors on such projects.

lord young of cookham: The Cabinet Office tracks the financial status of all of HMG’s Strategic Suppliers and manages risks accordingly. Carillion plc is a Strategic Supplier to Her Majesty’s Government, publicly listed company and is required to comply with all rules and regulations of the London Stock Exchange. We are expecting the company to be publishing its half-year results on the 29th September.The Government Construction Strategy, as set out by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA), does not mandate the use of Project Bank Accounts (PBAs) in England for public infrastructure projects. However, the policy states they are recognised as an effective mechanism for facilitating fair payment to the construction supply chain and that departments have committed to use them unless there are compelling reasons not to do so. The use of PBA’s can be found in the Government Construction Strategy, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-construction-strategy-2016-2020.



Government Construction Strategy
(PDF Document, 518.42 KB)

Business Interests

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of business appointment rules for former ministers and senior civil servants in ensuringpublic confidencein the work of government.

lord young of cookham: The Government is considering a report from the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee into the operation of the Business Appointment Rules, and will respond in due course.

Government Departments: Disclosure of Information

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey aretaking to ensure that government departments meet their obligations to publish transparency data in a timely fashion.

lord young of cookham: The UK Government is among the most transparent in the world and each Department is responsible for publishing a range of data on its activities. Ministers in the Cabinet Office will be working with departments over the coming months to improve the publication process to ensure we continue to meet our obligations in this important area.

Public Sector Debt

lord vinson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the annual cost of servicing the UK's external debt (1) in total, and (2) expressed as an amount per UK taxpayer.

lord young of cookham: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA response to HL1417
(PDF Document, 114.83 KB)

Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

baroness stowell of beeston: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the main recommendations put forward by the Joint Committee on the Palace of Westminster in its report of September 2016; and when they intend to bring forward a motion for both Houses to debate and decide how the restoration and renewal works should progress.

lord young of cookham: The Government is grateful for the valuable work conducted by the Joint Committee on the Palace of Westminster and has considered the recommendations in its report carefully. It intends to bring forward a motion in both Houses to debate this important matter in the Autumn.

Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014

lord hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they intend to take, if any, to review the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 following Bell Pottinger's expulsion from the Public Relations and Communications Association.

lord young of cookham: The Government is of the view that the Transparency of Lobbying Act 2014 has increased transparency around the work of consultant lobbyists. This legislation complements the existing framework of industry-led regulation such as subscription to industry codes of conduct, alongside the publication of ministerial diaries. Therefore, the Government has no plans to review the current legislation to expand the remit of the Registrar or her office.

Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014

lord hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will review the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014, in the light of the Registrar's inability to remove organisations such as Bell Pottinger from the Register of Consultant Lobbyists.

lord young of cookham: The Transparency of Lobbying Act 2014 does not confer powers on the Registrar to remove consultant lobbyists from the Register unless they cease to be consultant lobbyists. The Government position continues to be that the current regulations are designed to complement rather than replace existing industry-led self-regulation.

Department for International Trade

Pacific Alliance: Conferences

baroness coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK was represented at the meeting of the Pacific Alliance in Cali in June; and if so, by whom.

baroness sugg: The Deputy Director of Americas Directorate in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office represented the UK at the 12th Summit of the Pacific Alliance in Cali, Colombia in June.

Department of Health

Pigmeat: Hepatitis

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the EU Food Safety Agency first became aware that Hepatitis E was present in pig meat from the Netherlands and Germany; and when that information was first communicated to authorities in England.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) does not hold information on when the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) first became aware of hepatitis E in pig meat from the Netherlands and Germany. This is outside of the FSA remit as EFSA does not fall within the United Kingdom’s jurisdiction. As far as we are aware, the EFSA has not informed the FSA of any concerns regarding the presence of hepatitis E virus in pig meat from Germany or the Netherlands. The UK did, however, present a report on viruses in the food chain at the 55th EFSA Advisory Forum meeting in March 2015, which included a review of hepatitis E. European member states took this opportunity to share information and experience on hepatitis E in pork products, identifying possible opportunities for further collaboration to support risk assessments in this area.

Mental Health Services: Staff

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the national guidelines on safe, sustainable and productive staffing in mental health will be published.

lord o'shaughnessy: NHS England is working with the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health and key stakeholders, including experts by experience and carers, to develop national guidelines on effective, safe, compassionate and sustainable staffing. The expected date for publication will be in the summer of 2018.

Doctors: Refugees

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many refugee doctors have been able to become registered by the General Medical Council in the last five years; and in which medical specialties those doctorsarepracticing.

lord o'shaughnessy: The information requested is not held by the Department. The General Medical Council (GMC) is the independent regulator of doctors in the United Kingdom. It has advised that from 1 September 2012 to 31 August 2017, the GMC has registered 117 refugee doctors. Of these doctors, currently 105 are registered, and 104 with a licence to practise. The GMC has informed us that the numbers of practising refugee doctors split per medical specialities are very small and could lead to identification of individuals, and we are therefore not providing this information.

Doctors: Refugees

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many refugee doctors are currently enrolled in active refugee doctor programmes in the UK, specifically (1) Reache North West (Salford), (2) Building Bridges (London), (3) WARD (Cardiff), (4) The Bridges Programme (Glasgow) and (5) North-East England (Stockton-on-Tees); and how much annual funding each of those programmes receive from Health Education England.

lord o'shaughnessy: Health Education England (HEE) does not provide funding for programmes in Scotland and Wales. Funding for the requested programmes in England is shown in the following table.  Refugee doctor programmeHEE funding (2017/18)Doctors currently enrolled in programmeReache North West (Salford)£363,35754Building Bridges (London)£290,510-North-East England (Stockton-on-Tees)£63,18012 Source: HEENotes: Data for Cardiff and Glasgow is not available as these programmes do not fall within HEE’s remit. Breakdown for the numbers of doctors currently enrolled on the Building Bridges programme (London) is not available.

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many complaints were submitted about the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman in 2016; and what were the main themes of those complaints.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department does not collect these data. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) is independent of Government, being accountable to Parliament through the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee. This would be a matter for the PHSO to address.

Physician Associates: Regulation

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light ofremarks made by the Secretary of State for Health to the NHS Providers annual conference on 30 November 2016, when they will launch a consultation on the regulation of Physician Associate roles.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government supports the development of a modern health and care workforce as part of the continuing drive to provide safe, accessible and high quality care for patients and service users. The Department has developed proposals relating to the regulation of physician associates and remains committed to consulting on these in 2017.

Anticoagulants

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there have been any cases brought against the NHS duringthe past five years that have referenced (1) anticoagulation, (2) warfarin,or (3) non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants; and if so, how many of those cases were successful and what were the damages awarded.

lord o'shaughnessy: NHS Resolution (NHSR) provides indemnity cover for negligence claims against the NHS in England on behalf of member organisations. NHSR has provided the following information. The number of clinical claims received from 2012/13 to 2016/17 and payments made on successful cases where 'anticoagulation', ‘Warfarin’ or 'Non-Vitamin K antagonist' is mentioned in the incident details as at 31 August 2017 is shown in the attached table. Where a claim has been settled by way of a Periodical Payment Order the total value of the damages paid will not be realised until the patient dies. The information in the tables only includes payments to date on such cases.



Clinical claims
(Word Document, 15.73 KB)

Strokes

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure progress in the treatment of stroke throughout the country once the National Stroke Strategycomes to an end in December.

lord o'shaughnessy: Although the National Stroke Strategy comes to an end in December, NHS England continues to lead an effective programme of work on prevention and treatment. NHS England is improving acute treatment through the centralisation of care in centres that can provide the highest level of care at all times of the day and week. Stroke is one of the five conditions chosen to deliver the urgent and emergency care standards by this autumn. NHS England has established a cardiovascular disease (CVD) collaborative to bring together relevant stakeholders in the field of CVD and provide a forum where relevant work being undertaken in this area and potential new initiatives can be discussed and responsibilities for action determined. CVD prevention is a key theme in NHS England’s Five Year Forward View and its NHS RightCare programme. NHS England have also recently announced that it will be commissioning the new treatment of thrombectomy (extracting the blood clot causing the blockage to blood flow through a catheter inserted into the artery). This will initially be provided in the neuroscience centres, but in due course additional centres may need to provide this treatment to ensure complete population coverage.

NHS: Data Protection

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to implement all the recommendationscontained inthe reportReview of data releases made by the NHS Information Centreled by Sir Nick Partridge in 2014; and if so, how many recommendations remain to be implemented.

lord o'shaughnessy: NHS Digital has advised that it is working towards implementing all the recommendations in Sir Nick Partridge’s Review of Data Releases by the NHS Information Centre. The majority have already been implemented in full and NHS Digital expects the remaining aspects of the one outstanding recommendation to have been implemented by the end of the year.

Female Genital Mutilation

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have considered the introduction of annual medical examinations of young girls in order to detect and prevent female genital mutilation; and what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of such examinationsin other countries such asFrance.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government has no current plans to introduce annual medical examinations to identify female genital mutilation (FGM); we believe that prevention and support are where efforts are best focused. Medical examinations may take place in individual child protection cases, however. Medical examinations in France and elsewhere take place within a different social and legal framework than in England and so are not comparable. As part of the Department’s £4 million FGM Prevention Programme, which is in partnership with NHS England, we have introduced a range of training and guidance for health professionals. This includes: - Specialist FGM safeguarding guidance to help health professionals protect against FGM;- Specialist guidance to help health professionals commission appropriate FGM services;- Awareness-raising roadshows and outreach work across the country – this has directly reached over 3,500 professionals;- Educational films about FGM and updated content on the NHS Choices website;- Comprehensive e-learning on FGM, free of charge to all National Health Service staff (this was developed by Health Education England, with more than 4,000 staff having used this to date); and:  - Supported a number of projects with health partners including the Royal Colleges. These have delivered a range of practical measures to improve clinical skills, awareness and preparedness to treat and safeguard women and girls with FGM.

Family Planning

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether GPs receive in-service training on family planning service provisions; and if so, how often.

lord o'shaughnessy: General practitioners (GPs) are responsible for maintaining their continuing professional development (CPD), ensuring that they can provide high quality care to all patients. CPD is one of the sources of information required for appraisal and revalidation. GPs can draw on a variety of accredited training, for example from the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, on safe and effective sexual and reproductive healthcare in community, primary and secondary care settings.